Embroidery machine and embroidery system

ABSTRACT

An embroidery machine includes a plurality of thread reel stand bars, a plurality of thread reels installed to the thread reel stand bars, respectively, a plurality of needles to which threads are supplied from the respective thread reels, at least two of the needles being selected to operate, on the basis of an embroidery data, in order for forming a stitch pattern of multiple colors, a wireless tag attached to each of the thread reels an having information related to the thread wound therearound, and a receiving device, for reading the information in the wireless tag, provided at each of the thread reel stand.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is based on and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119to Japanese Patent Application 2004-273664, filed on Sep. 21, 2004, theentire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention generally relates to an embroidery machine and anembroidery system including the embroidery machine. More particularly,this invention pertains to an embroidery machine including multipleneedles to which different threads are supplied from different threadreels respectively and respectively utilized in turn repeatedly forforming a stitch pattern of plural colors.

BACKGROUND

JP2004-129947A describes a conventional embroidery machine includingmultiple needles and a thread-changing mechanism. In the conventionalembroidery machine, thread information such as colors of the threadssupplied to respective needles are inputted to a personal computer bymeans of a keyboard, mouse, or other input device. The personal computerinquires matching between the thread information and an embroidery dataof an embroidery pattern. Then, when the color of the thread indicatedby the thread information is different from the color of the threadindicated by the embroidery data or the like, the personal computerautomatically corrects a thread color indicated in the embroidery dataon the basis of the inquiry result. In other words, in the embroiderymachine, color of embroidery is changed.

However, manual input for thread color data in terms of RGB, threadmaterial data, and thread thickness data is troublesome works. Inparticular, in the embroidery machine in which different threads aresupplied from the plural thread reels, the amount of input data inrelation to the thread information becomes large.

A need thus exists for an embroidery machine enabling labor saving ofinputting thread information. It is preferable that correct input ofthread information is available. It is further preferable that inputsystem of thread information can be configured compact by efficientlyutilizing structure property of the embroidery machine. A need thus alsoexists for an embroidery system including the embroidery machinedescribed above. The present invention has been made in view of theabove circumstances and provides such an embroidery machine and anembroidery system.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to an aspect of the present invention, an embroidery machineincludes a plurality of thread reel stand bars, a plurality of threadreels installed to the thread reel stand bars respectively, a pluralityof needles to which threads are supplied from the respective threadreels and operated in turn in order for forming a stitch pattern ofmultiple colors on the basis of an embroidery data, a wireless tagattached to each of the thread reels having information of one of thethreads wound around each of the thread reels, and a receiving meansprovided at each of the thread reel stand bars for reading theinformation retained by the each wireless tag.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, an embroiderysystem includes one embroidery machine or a plurality of embroiderymachines of automatic thread-changing type equipped with multipleneedles including a receiving means for receiving an identification of athread wound around a thread reel from a wireless tag attached to thethread reel for retaining the identification of the thread, a serverdevice connected to the one embroidery machine or the plurality of theembroidery machines of automatic thread-changing type equipped withmultiple needles through a network, a database provided at an internalmemory device or an external memory device of the server device forstoring the identification of the thread and associated threadinformation, and a searching means provided at the server device forsearching the database for the identification of the thread received bythe receiving means.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing and additional features and characteristics of the presentinvention will become more apparent from the following detaileddescription considered with reference to the accompanying drawings,wherein:

FIG. 1 represents a block diagram illustrating an embroidery systemincluding an embroidery machine according to an embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 2 represents a schematic diagram illustrating a thread reelinstalled to a thread reel stand bar in the embroidery machineillustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 represents a schematic diagram illustrating a wireless tagattached to the thread reel and a receiving means (antenna) accommodatedin the thread reel stand bar;

FIG. 4 represents a block diagram illustrating an embroidery systemincluding the embroidery machine illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 represents a block diagram for explaining actions of theembroidery system illustrated in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 represents a flowchart for explaining procedures of recognizingthread information in the embroidery system illustrated in FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 represents a table indicating an example of thread informationutilized in the embroidery system according to the embodiment of thepresent invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

An embodiment of the present invention will be explained. In theembodiment of the present invention, when a thread reel to which awireless tag is attached in advance is installed to a thread reel standbar of one embroidery machine or a plurality of embroidery machinesequipped with multiple needles and of automatic thread-changing typehaving a receiving device for receiving signals from the wireless tag,the embroidery machine reads an identification (ID) of the thread woundaround the thread reel through the receiving device. Then, theembroidery machine searches a database of thread ID and associatedthread information stored in a server PC provided in a network forfinding the thread ID and obtaining the associated thread informationfrom the database.

The thread information to be obtained includes a manufacturer of thethread, a thread color (indicated by number or RGB code), material ofthread (rayon, polyester or the like), or a thread thickness. In thesystem described above, the thread information can firmly be obtained insimple way. Then, the system can be set up, or controlled more stably,which can contribute to improve operationality and productivity.

In the embodiment of the present invention, following operations areperformed corresponding to the obtained thread information.

Operation in relation to thread color information (Assign RGB code toeach needle of the embroidery machine): The system compares the threadcolor information of obtained one with one incorporated in an embroiderydata included in a server device in terms of RGB codes. Then, the systemselects a needle (needle number) to which a thread having a coloridentical with or similar to that indicated by the RGB code incorporatedin the embroidery data is supplied, and set the selected needle tooperation position.

Operation in relation to thread material (such as rayon, polyester): onthe basis of the thread material information, the system controls athread tension regulator or timing for moving an XY frame to which acloth is attached. Thus, quality of stitches can be controlled, orcut-off of thread can be prevented.

Operation in relation to thread thickness: on the basis of the threadthickness information, the thread tension regulator is controlled, orthread density in the embroidery data is adjusted to appropriate value.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the thread reel includes ahollow core into which a thread reel stand bar is inserted. The wirelesstag is attached to an inner wall of the hollow core.

In the embodiment of the present invention, on the basis of a searchresult obtained by the searching means, thread information, in otherwords, one or more commands such as thread change command, threadtension regulator change command, and thread density change commandis/are transmitted from the server device to the one embroidery machineor a plurality of embroidery machines.

In the embodiment of the present invention, when a color different fromthose of threads supplied to the needles is assigned in the embroiderydata, the assigned color in the embroidery data is assumed to the mostresemble color of the thread among those supplied to the needles.

An example will be explained with reference to drawing figures.

FIG. 1 represents an explanatory diagram illustrating structure of anembroidery machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

With reference to FIG. 1, an embroidery machine EM includes aconventional frame-driving means for driving and moving an embroideryframe 56 in two dimensional direction along a horizontal plain(X-direction and Y-direction), a conventional needle mechanism forvertically driving needles 58 ₁–58 ₆ located above a piercing hole 60, aconventional needle-selecting device 16 similar to one described inJPS53-043336A or JPS55-008626A or the like, and thread reel stand tables55 (55 r, 55L).

The needle-selecting device 16 selects one of the needles 58 ₁–58 ₆ andset the selected needle right above the middle of the piercing hole 60.Then, a thread supplied to the needle located right above the piercinghole 60 is utilized for embroidering.

Plural thread reel stand bars 1 are provided upright on the thread reelstand tables 55 r, 55L. The plural thread reels (bobbins) can beprovided regularly on the thread stand tables 55 r, 55L.

Among the plural thread reels, a thread wound around each predeterminedthread reel is applied to each predetermined needle 58 ₁–58 ₆ througheach thread tension regulator 61, each hole of a thread guide plate 62,and each hole of a thread take-up lever.

FIG. 2 represents a schematic diagram illustrating a thread reelinstalled to a thread reel stand bar. FIG. 3 represents a schematicdiagram illustrating a wireless tag attached to the thread reel and anantenna (receiving means) accommodated in the thread reel stand bar.

With reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, the wireless tag 3 retaining a threadID is attached to an inner core (hollow core) 2 a of the thread reel 2.Receiving means 1 a for receiving the thread ID retained in the wirelesstag 3 are provided at the plurality of thread reel stand bars 1 to whichthe thread reels 2 are installed. When the wireless tag 3 receiveselectromagnetic wave emitted from the receiving means 1 a, the wirelesstag 3 emits a signal indicating the thread ID. The receiving means 1 areceives the signal, and send the signal indicating the thread ID to acontroller 6 (illustrated in FIG. 1) of the embroidery machine EM.

Next, an embroidery system including the embroidery machine describedabove will be explained.

FIG. 4 represents a block diagram illustrating an embroidery systemincluding the embroidery machines.

With reference to from FIG. 1 to FIG. 4, the embroidery system 10includes plural embroidery machines EM. The embroidery machines areequipped with multiple needles and a thread-changing system. Eachembroidery machine includes the receiving means 1 a provided at thethread reel stand bar 1 for receiving the ID emitted from the wirelesstag 3 attached to the thread reel 2 and retaining the ID of the threadwound around the thread reel 2. The embroidery system further includes aserver device connected to the plural embroidery machines EM through anetwork N.

With reference to FIG. 4, an internal memory device or an externalmemory device of the server device PC stores embroidery information ofseveral kinds of embroidery pattern, in other words, embroidery data 8(illustrated in FIG. 5). The embroidery pattern is specified by aspecific name (file name). The embroidery information of each patternspecified by the specific name (file name) is configured from severalcontrol data and a large number of stitch data. The control dataincludes required thread color data Ci and thread selection sequencedata.

On the basis of the embroidery data transmitted from the server devicePC, the plural embroidery machines EM are driven simultaneously (in somecases, one is driven after a predetermined period of time from another)for forming a predetermined pattern of multiple colors on a cloth (notillustrated) attached to the embroidery frame (56 of FIG. 1).

The stitch data includes two kinds of data. One is a control dataincluding thread-changing command data and end (end of embroidery)command data. Second is a data indicating the required amount of drivingand moving the embroidery frame (moving distance along X-axis andY-axis) from the last position of the embroidery frame (at a start time,the middle of the frame is positioned right above the piercing hole 60).

In the stitch data, data of the amount of driving and moving theembroidery frame are sequentially arranged in the unit of 1 stitch,during embroidery and if there are no thread changes. If thread changesare required for certain timings, thread-changing command data areinserted at appropriate locations of the stitch data. Then, an endcommand data is located at timing for ending embroidery, in other words,at the end of the stitch data. For indicating thread colors describedabove, RGB codes are employed.

Further, the server device PC includes a thread information database 9(illustrated in FIG. 5) storing thread IDs associated with threadinformation and a searching means 7 for finding thread informationcorresponding to the thread ID received by the receiving portion (1 a inFIG. 3) from the thread information database 9. In addition, thesearching means 7 can be configured from a program operable by theserver device PC.

FIG. 5 represents a block diagram for explaining actions of theembroidery system illustrated in FIG. 4. FIG. 6 represents a flow chartfor explaining procedures of recognizing thread information in theembroidery system illustrated in FIG. 5. FIG. 7 represents a table forindicating an example of thread information.

With reference to FIG. 5, the embroidery system according to theembodiment of the present invention includes one embroidery machine orplural embroidery machines EM equipped with multiple needles and ofautomatic thread-changing type having the receiving means 1 a forreceiving the ID emitted from the wireless tag 3 (illustrated in FIG. 3)attached to the thread reel 2 and retaining the ID of the thread woundaround the thread reel 2, the server device PC connected to oneembroidery machine or the plural embroidery machines EM through thenetwork N, the thread information database 9 provided at the internalmemory device or the external memory device of the server device PC andstoring the thread ID associated with thread information, and thesearching means 7 provided at the server device PC for searching andfinding the thread ID received by the receiving means 1 a from thethread information database 9.

Further, the embroidery system according to the embodiment of thepresent invention includes a switch 4 and a reading device 5 provided inthe embroidery machine EM between the receiving means 1 a and thecontroller 6 arranged in an order described above. The connection of theswitch 4 is switched on the basis of control signals transmitted fromthe reading device 5. The thread ID received by the receiving means 1 ais transmitted to the server device PC with information of a needlenumber and a thread reel number through the controller 6.

With reference to FIGS. 3 to 6, method for obtaining thread informationperformed in the embroidery system according to the embodiment of thepresent invention will be explained.

First, the thread reel 2 is installed to the thread reel stand bar 1.Then, the controller 6 and the server device PC of the embroiderymachines EM are started.

Steps S1 to S3 will be explained with reference to FIG. 6. First, thereceiving means 1 a accommodated in the thread reel stand bar 1 forsupplying thread to a first needle 58 ₁ emits a predeterminedelectromagnetic wave. Then, the wireless tag 3 attached to the threadreel 2 installed to the thread reel stand bar 1 emits a signal of the IDof the thread wound around the thread reel 2. The receiving means 1 areceives the signal of the ID emitted by the wireless tag 3.

Steps S4 and S5 will be explained with reference to FIG. 6. The threadID is transmitted together with the needle number or the thread reelnumber (Nj) in the form of pair data [Nj, ID] (j=1 to 6) to the serverdevice PC through the reading device 5, the controller 6, and thenetwork N. The searching means 7 of the server device PC searches thethread information database 9 for the ID of the thread supplied to theneedle 58 ₁ (illustrated in FIG. 7) for obtaining the thread informationof the thread supplied to the needle 58 ₁, for example, manufacturer ofthe thread, thread color (RGB), and thread thickness.

The searching means 7 transmits the thread information to the controller6. Then, requests of changes for such as thread, a thread tensionregulator and thread density is displayed on the required basis. Inaddition, independently, on the basis of the search result of thesearching means 7, the embroidery data 8 stored in the server device PCcan be corrected.

Steps S6 and S1 will be explained with reference to FIG. 6. The switch 4is sequentially switched on the basis of the control signals transmittedfrom the reading device 5. Actions described above are repeated for theneedles 58 ₁ to 58 ₆ or for all of the thread reels 2. The number ofrepeating the actions is according to the number of the needles 58 ₁ to58 ₆ or the number of the thread reels 2. Then, the thread informationof entire thread reels 2 can be obtained.

The controller 6 transmits the signal in relation to [Nj, ID] to theserver device PC through the network N.

The searching means 7 searches the thread information database 9 for thethread ID included in [Nj, ID] associated with the thread informationrecorded in the server device PC. The server device PC can transmit thethread information such as thread change command, thread tensionregulator change command, or thread density change command to theembroidery machine EM on the basis of the search results.

The embroidery system according to the embodiment of the presentinvention can be applied to an embroidery machine equipped with multipleneedles and of thread-changing type, in particular, an embroiderymachine equipped with multiple needles and of automatic thread-changingtype. Further, the embroidery system according to the embodiment of thepresent invention can be applied to an embroidery system including theembroidery machines connected and utilized in parallel. Further, theembroidery system according to the embodiment of the present inventioncan be applied to a knitting machine and knitting system requiringautomatic changes of various threads.

According to the embodiment of the present invention, a wireless taghaving thread information such as color, thickness, and material of athread is attached to a thread reel, and a receiving means for readingthe thread information is provided at a thread reel stand bar of a mainbody of an embroidery machine to which the thread reel is installed.Accordingly, labor saving for inputting thread information to theembroidery machine becomes possible. Further, the thread information canbe correctly inputted to the embroidery machine. In addition, because awireless input system of the thread information is configured from thethread reel stand bar and the thread reel, the wireless tag and thereceiving means (antenna) can be closely located, which can enhance adegree of precision of reading. Further, owing to the same reason,remodeling work required for constructing the wireless input system canbe made small.

The principles, preferred embodiment and mode of operation of thepresent invention have been described in the foregoing specification.However, the invention which is intended to be protected is not to beconstrued as limited to the particular embodiments disclosed. Further,the embodiments described herein are to be regarded as illustrativerather than restrictive. Variations and changes may be made by others,and equivalents employed, without departing from the spirit of thepresent invention. Accordingly, it is expressly intended that all suchvariations, changes and equivalents which fall within the spirit andscope of the present invention as defined in the claims, be embracedthereby.

1. An embroidery machine comprising: a plurality of thread reel standbars; a plurality of thread reels installed to the thread reel standbars, respectively; a plurality of needles to which threads are suppliedfrom the respective thread reels, at least two of the needles beingselected to operate, on the basis of an embroidery data, in order forforming a stitch pattern of multiple colors; a wireless tag attached toeach of the thread reels and having information related to the threadwound therearound; and receiving means, for reading the information inthe wireless tag, provided at each of the thread reel stand bars.
 2. Theembroidery machine according to claim 1, wherein each of the thread reelincludes a hollow core into which one of the thread reel stand bars isinserted and the wireless tag is attached to an inner wall of the hollowcore.
 3. An embroidery system, comprising: at least one embroiderymachine of automatic thread-changing type including receiving means forreceiving an identification of a thread wound around a thread reel froma wireless tag attached thereto; a server device connected to the atleast one embroidery machine through a network; a database, for storingthe identification of the thread and associated thread information,provided at one of an internal memory device and an external memorydevice of the server device; and searching means provided at the serverdevice and searching the database for the identification of the threadreceived by the receiving means.
 4. The embroidery system according toclaim 3, wherein the server device transmits at least one of commandsfor thread change, thread tension regulator change, and thread densitychange as the thread information to the one embroidery machine or theplurality of embroidery machines on the basis of the result of thesearch performed by the searching means.